MORE ABOUT: Durance Theatre – Chateau-Arnoux, France

Location: Chateau-Arnoux
Architect: Philippe Gazeau
Structural Engineer: Iosis/Oth Méditeranée
Function: Theatre
Gross Construction Cost: €4,210,000
Floor Area: 1,671 m²

The Durance Theatre was constructed as an expansion of the cultural center in Chateau-Arnoux, France. The design was intended to accommodate a seated audience of 350 people while focusing on versatility of the performance space. The theatre exposes both the concrete structure of the main building and the steel truss structure of the roof.

Structure

Section of the theatre showing the roof and wall shape and structure.

The structure of the theatre can be separated into two parts, the reinforced concrete main building structure and the steel truss roof structure.

The mass of the building is composed of a simple structure of 300 mm reinforced concrete walls with insulation on the inner face. The only complexity arises where windows puncture the wall face, they are bordered by 300 mm square coated steel HSS.

Detail of window assembly.

Key:
7) 300 mm reinforced conc. wall; 80 mm expandd polystyrene ins.; 13 mm plasterboard
8) thermally divided aluminum facade element, coated 12 mm lam. safety glass + 10 mm cavity + 12 mm toughened glass
9) aluminum casing to sunblind coated
10) 300/300 mm steel SHS coated

The roof structure is a very interesting exposed steel truss system that can be seen from the exterior and experienced in an amazing way from a balcony level within the roof structure.

View of exposed steel truss roof structure.

Detailed section of roof structure.

Key:
1) 300 mm reinforced concrete wall
80 mm expanded polystyrene insulation
13 mm plasterboard
2) galvanized sheet-steel covering
3) 180/180 mm galvanized steel SHS column
4) sheet aluminum-zinc profiled panels with pattern of perforations and slide-in connections, bolted to 80/80 mm galvanized steel SHS structure
5) 114 mm galvanized steel tubular strut
6) two-layer seal
100 mm compression-resistant thermal insulation vapor barrier
260 m prefabricated floor element:
sheet-steel bearing plate
mineral-fiber insulation
concrete with mesh reinforcement
7) 300/300 mm reinforced concrete plinth
8) 16 mm galvanized steel cable
9) 190/190 mm steel SHS trussed girder
10) steel grating
11) 140 mm galvanized steel channel

“Theatre Durance in Chateau-Arnoux.” Detail. 2009. 4. p 341-345.